AFI
honors film composers at Hollywood Bowl
By
Bradley Zint
Online Forty-Niner
Opinion Editor Everyone knows movies’ tunes and melodies but few know
the people who wrote these captivating pieces. For those unknowns, the unsung
and largely unrecognized composers of Hollywood, the American Film Institute’s
(AFI) “Top 25 Film Scores” concert recognized their remarkable
musical legacies.
The 25 best scores were chosen by a ballot vote in May by composers, musicians,
film artists, critics and historians. The resulting list was revealed at the
performance.
The concert was staged in the impressive Hollywood Bowl, a venue that holds
nearly 18,000. An engineering marvel, the Bowl’s stage enveloped by a
shell fronts a steep hillside holding the audience. From the orchestra-side
tables to the nosebleed bleachers, there truly is not a bad seat in the house.
Complementing the orchestra’s live performance of the AFI’s 25
best list of film scores were screens that projected short clips of the winning
films. The films that accompanied the live synchronized scores evoked Hollywood
nostalgia, bringing remembrance of our favorite American films and a sense
of intrigue for those we have not yet seen.
Sometimes short sequences were spliced together rather than playing an entire
scene, giving an overall sense of the film and the music’s ability to
convey the film’s theme. Other times, an entire memorable scene was played
and the audience noticed how the music worked with the scene to make it effective.
Highlights of the evening included the score to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Its
intro resembles a child’s experimental fascination with a piano. Its
composer, Elmer Bernstein, was one of three major film score composers who
died last year.
The other two composers were David Raskin and Jerry Goldsmith. Raskin’s
masterpiece from the film “Laura” was played.
Goldsmith had two selections, one from the cult classic, “Planet of the
Apes,” starring Charlton Heston. The outer-worldly percussive and serialism
score set a distinctive tone throughout the scene’s silent sequences.
The other selection was from a film which depicts the darker side of Los Angeles, “Chinatown.”
The brief interlude features an unforgettable trumpet solo, dripping of misfortune,
suspense and mystery. For a brief moment we forget it’s “Chinatown;” the
hint of sadness is universal.
Another memorable solo also featuring trumpet was the opening to “The
Godfather,” written by Italian composer Nino Rota. Rota’s music
has such a significant impact on the film that when the selection began, audience
members instantly cheered.
No greatest list is complete without a few Westerns, a film genre uniquely
American. No Western film score is more instantly recognizable than “The
Magnificent Seven.” The orchestra’s performance behind the brief
scene’montages’was a fitting tribute.
The best performance of the night was Max Steiner’s “Gone With
the Wind.” Its heart-rending theme was the most impassioned performance
of the night.
The AFI’s top choice as the best film score ever was none other than
John Williams’ “Star Wars.” No film music concert is complete
without it. Concert attendees were treated to a atypical selection from the
massively influential neo-romantic score.
Most concerts play the “Star Wars” main title, but on this occasion
the orchestra played the Death Star battle and throne room movie sequences
in-tandem with the George Lucas classic.
This particular moment of the concert had historical significance, for it is
quite possibly the first time since 1977 in which segments of the original “Star
Wars” score were played in-sync with the original film.
It’s no wonder the Hollywood Bowl was full—films and their music
provided for an exceptionally entertaining evening.
To see the full list of the top 25 AFI film scores, visit www.hollywoodbowl.org.
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